Toy crane



Sept. 17, 1963 E. GOLDFARB 3,104,015

TOY CRANE 7 Filed June 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 10/ jaa ADOLPH EGOLDFARB,

IN VENTOR.

Attorne United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 1 7, 1963 3,104,015 TGY CRANE Adolph E. Goldfarb, 7245 Atoll St, North Hollywood, Calif. Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,509 9 Claims. (Cl. 212-59) This invention relates to improvements in cranes, particularly those on a wheeled chassis. The invention is particularly adapted for application in toy cranes but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The crane of the invention is of the type having a swinging boom and winch and cable means for raising and lowering the boom and operating a cable or the like reeved over a pulley at the end of the boom whereby objects may be raised and lowered.

The invention is particularly adaptable in toys of a size that ayounger child may sit on, and ride on, and operate the toy. An object of the invention is to provide ways and means whereby such a toy can be produced inexpensively, minimizing the utilization of more expensive materials without sacrificing strength and durability.

The invention provides an improved construction and arrangement of parts in the crane whereby all of the controls are incorporated in an operating handle or control member. The construction provides an upright rotatable stem or post at the forward part of the chassis which carries the boom at its lower part. At the upper part of the post is carried an assembly whereby the post may be rotated, this assembly also carrying the winch or other rotatable means whereby the cables are actuated for raising and lowering the boom and operating the lift cable which passes over the pulley at the end of the boom. The said assembly also has embodied therein control means which may be in the form of a brake or other equivalent means for controlling the release of the cables from the winch or winding means.

The foregoing construction is simplified, is very effective in operation and facilitates fabrication and production and promotes economy. Its nature is such that it may be effectively fabricated from inexpensive materials which are easy to work with. In particular, it makes possible the minimal use of more expensive materials, such as i plastics, by the use of other materials at strategic points, and by minimizing the stresses to which particular parts may be subjected.

The constructional arrangements as described are particularly adapted as stated in the foregoing for use in toys but are not necessarily limited thereto. The invention embodies further features particularly adapted to toys such' as the manner in which the boom itself is fabricated. Preferably, it may be made from relatively rigid but thin-selectioned plastic materials and it may be made in sections which are secured together in a novel manner. The crane hook embodies the usual weight for lowering but is also equipped with a magnet or magnetic insert adapted to hold objects by magnetic attraction for lifting.

In accordance with the foregoing, a primary object of the invention is to provide improvements in cranes whereby all of the controls are embodied in a single control unit or assembly which is in itself preferably in the form of a handle or actuator.

Another object is to provide an assembly as in the foregoing object comprising a rotatable stem or post at the forward part of a chassis, the said post carrying a swinging boom at its lower part and having mounted at its upper end control means for actuating the cables whereby the crane boom is operated or manipulated.

Another object is to provided a structural arrangement as in the foregoing object wherein the assembly at the upper part of the post embodies a manual operating handle and manually actuatable means for winding in and releasing cables as well as control means for releasing the cables.

Another object is to simplify and reduce production costs of toys of the type referred to without sacrificing the required strength and durability.

Further objects and numerous advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detail description and annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form' of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section of the crane of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the boom;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

.FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIGJ is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a detailed View of the holding and release means for one of the cables;

FIG. 9 is a detail View similar to FIG. 8 showing the release means in another position; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary detail view, in perspective, of a pulley means of the boom.

Referring now more in detail to the various figures of the drawings, FIG. 1 shows in perspective a preferred form of the invention wherein numeral 10 designates generally the wheeled body or chassis of the crane. The body includes a horizontal frame -11 which may have the configuration shown by way of example. It has a cargo carrying compartment 13 depending from the frame and downwardly extending portions on which are mounted rear wheels 14. Upstanding from the frame 111 are vertical posts as shown at 17 which support an arcuate reticulated top as designated generally at 20. It is to be understood of course that the general configuration of the chassis or body may be varied within rather wide limitations. The top 2% has an arcuate un-reticulated part as shown forming a seat for a child to sit on while operating the toy.

The parts of the crane except as otherwise indicated may, by way of example, be made of formed or molded plastic or other materials suited to the purpose using known fabrication techniques most adapted to the particular material used. Preferably, however, parts such as the posts 17 may be made of wood or metal.

At the forward part of the body, there is a rotatable stem or post 24- which may be made of wood or other suitable material. The post 24 is journalled'within a cylinder or tube 25 which may preferably be made of aluminum or other appropriate metal. The forward part of the top 20 has an opening to receive the post 24, this opening being in the raised boss 27 as may be seen in FIG. 2. The forward part of the frame part 11 tapers as shown in FIG. 1; it has an opening to receive the post 24 which opening is surrounded by the raised boss 28.

The crane boom is designated generally at 31. Attached to the lower end of the post 24, as may best be seen in FIG. 7, is a generally triangular member 32 which carries transverse wheel shaft 33 on which are mounted the front wheels 35 and 36. The member 32 has a forwardly extending portion 39 as may be seen in FIG. 1, the outer part of which is arcuate and which is slotted as shown at 40 to receive the lower end of the boom 31. The lower end of the boom is pivoted on a pivot pin 42 extending through the side walls of the slotted portion 39.

Mounted on the upper end of the post 24 is a fitting or member 43 which has a bore which receives the upper end of post 24. The fitting 43 has a rearwardly extending part 44 having a slanting bore in which is received a cylindrical operating handle 46 having a knob 47 at the end. The upper end of the post 24 has a slanting bone aligned with the bore in the part 44 and the handle 46 extends into the bone in post 24 as well as may be seen in FIG. 2. As may be seen, therefore, torque for turning the front wheels and swinging the boom is transmitted directly to post 24 by handle 46.

The fitting 43 carries the winch or winding means which operate the cables whereby the boom is actuated or manipulated. Numeral 50 designates a transverse shaft extending through the fitting 43. On one end of the shaft is rotatably mounted a pulley 52 having a crank handle 53 and on the other end of the shaft is rotatably mounted a pulley 54 having a crank handle 55. The pulley 52 has a hub 69 on which a cable may be wound as designated at 63. The cable or cord designated at 65 in FIG. 1 may be wound on this pulley. On the inside of pulley 52 is a ratchet wheel 67 cooperating with which is a ratchet 68 on an operating lever 69 having a knob 70 on its end. The lever 69 is pivoted to the portion 44 on a pivot pin 72. Thus by rotating the crank 52, the cable or cord 65 may be wound in to raise the crane boom about its pivot 42. Lowering is controlled by the lever 69; that is, whenever the pawl 68 is disengaged from the ratchet 67, the boom will tend to lower. A transverse pin 71 on the lever 69 is engageable with the rim of the pulley 52 for controlling the rate of speed of payout of the cable 65 when the ratchet pawl 68 is disengaged.

The pulley 54 has a hub 75 on which may be wound the cable or cord 77 which passes over a pulley 78 nonrotatably mounted at the upper end of the boom. On the end of the cord or cable 77 is a weight 80 and hook 81. The hook 81 has a magnetic insert 82 in it whereby metal objects may be picked up by way of the magnetic insert holding them by magnetic attraction.

On the inside of the pulley 54 is another ratchet wheel 85 controlled by a manual operating handle 86 which is like the one shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. This handle controls the releasing of the cord or cable 77 and the lowering of the book 81. The operation is similar to that of ratchet wheel 67 and handle 69.

The pulley 7 8 is preferably of a particular construction as shown in FIG. 10. The cable 77 passes over its periphery between spaced lugs 90 and preferably these lugs form a solid bridge over the cable ltO the other side of the pulley so that the cable is threaded through them. Preferably, alternate lugs may be on opposite sides of the pulley 78 with a portion 79 bridging completely over, the pulley being integral with the outer end of the boom 31. This construction facilitates molding the pulley integrally with the end section of the boom.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show in more detail a preferred form of construction of the crane boom. As stated in the foregoing, it may be constructed from formed or molded plastic or other suitable material. As shown, it is fabricated in the form of a structural girder member and preferably it'is formed in two or more sections as shown in FIG. 3 to facilitate fabrication, assembly, disassembly and production. The sections are shown at 92 and 93 having the structural girder configuration shown, both sections tapering away from the joint between them. The sections may be made from a relatively rigid, but thin-sectioned, plastic and in such instance, there is provided a reinforcing strut 94 which may be a round or half round metal member such as a member made of aluminum or wood. The cross members of the boom sections are confi-gurated to receive the strut 94 as may be seen at 97 and 98, successive cross members being on opposite sides of the reinforcing strut 94.

FIG. 4 shows the cross-section of parts of the boom sections adjacent the joint. As may be seen, the sections comprise central parts or members 100 and 101 having extending transverse :or lateral webs 162. The section 93 has end webs 193 and 104 and the section 92 has an end web 105 which is brought flush against the end web 103. The intermediate parts or portions 100 and 101 are flush together and are attached by means of the rivet or other fastener 107.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, the joining ends of the two sections are configurated to form a tongue and groove joint. FIGS. 5 and 6 show in detail the constnuction of the transverse members at the ends of the sections 92 and 93. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the transverse member has an arcuate depression 111 forming an open sided pocket which receives the strut 94.

Similarly, the cross member 113 at the end of the section 93 has an arcuate depression or pocket 114 facing the other way which also receives the strut 94. As may be seen, therefore, the boom may conveniently be formed in two sections and as reinforced by the strut member 94 is then a very sturdy and durable construction.

From the foregoing, the operation of the crane will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. All of the controls are in the assembly which can be manipulated by the handle 46. This handle turns the post 24 which rotates the lower end of the boom with it as well as the front wheels of the chassis. The winches or winding means are part of the assembly mounted at the upper end of post 24. They are operable as described by the cranks 53 and 55 for reeling in or releasing the cords or cables. One of the cables of course controls the pivotal movement of the boom itself and the other controls the raising and lowering of the hook. Each of these operations is separately controllable by the handles or levers 69 and S6 pivoted on the fitting 43 at the upper end of post 24 as part of that assembly. The particular construction shown minimizes the stress on any particular part and makes possible an inexpensive but strong and durable toy.

Those skilled in the ant will observe that the invention achieves the objects as stated in the foregoing. It ro vides an improved and simplified construction and one highly adapted to the fabrication, production and assembly of toy cranes. The construction facilitates the use of inexpensive and e-asy-to-use materials and facilitates the assembly of parts made of such materials.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a crane assembly in combination, a chassis having a top frame supported thereon, a rotatable post at the forward part of the said chassis, a boom pivotally attached to the lower part of said post, and means forming an assembly at the upper part of the post and rotatable therewith for raising and lowering the boom and operating a hook suspended from the boom, and an operating means for said assembly including a handle adjacent said top frame.

2. The crane as in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises winding means for a cable connected to the boom and winding means connected to a hook suspended from the boom.

3. The crane as in claim 2 including means for controlling the release of each of the said winding means carried by said assembly.

4. The crane as in claim 1 having a front wheel assembly carried on the lower part of said post.

5. In a toy crane in combination, a chassis, a rotatable post mounted at the forward part of the chassis, a boom pivoted to the lower part of said post and rotatable therewith, a winding assembly mounted at the upper end of said post comprising means for raising and lowering the boom and raising and lowering a hook suspended from the boom, and an operating handle attached to the assembly at the upper end of said post for swiveling the said post, and a front wheel assembly mounted on the lower end of the post.

6. A toy crane as in claim 5 wherein said post is journalled in a metal tube.

7. Crane as in claim 6 wherein the parts are made generally of molded plastic, the said post being made of wood.

8. Crane as in claim 5 including manually operated means for controlling the release of cables operating the boom and the hook suspended therefrom.

9. The crane of claim 5 wherein the said hook has a magnetic insert for holding articles to be lifted by magnetic attraction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 929,168 Robertson July 27, 1909 2,209,359 Stevens July 30, 1940 2,675,927 LeTour-neau Apr. 20, 1954 10 2,961,103 Ward Nov. 22, 1960 

1. IN A CRANE ASSEMBLY IN COMBINATION, A CHASSIS HAVING A TOP FRAME SUPPORTED THEREON, A ROTATABLE POST AT THE FORWARD PART OF THE SAID CHASSIS, A BOOM PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE LOWER PART OF SAID POST, AND MEANS FORMING AN ASSEMBLY AT THE UPPER PART OF THE POST AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE BOOM AND OPERATING A HOOK SUSPENDED FROM THE BOOM, AND AN OPER- 